Fun Maths Activities Children Will Enjoy
Updated on: October 2, 2023
Of all the subjects we teach, maths is often found to be one of the least popular. Yet, maths activities provide lots of essential learning we all need for everyday life.
It’s true that with some intensive thought and research any subject can be made interesting but it’s fair to say fun maths activities are much harder to think of than other subjects.
Too often time pressures can mean we resort to dull maths activities which fail to capture children’s imaginations. For many pupils, maths delivered without inspiration can put them off for life.
Why So Many Children Don’t Enjoy Maths Activities
Higher Chance of Failure: If taught without creativity, maths can feel overwhelming because there is always a specific answer to find. For pupils who aren’t confident in their own mathematical ability, the fear of repeated failure is high.
A study by the New York Times found 1 in 4 university students felt moderate to high anxiety about maths.
Further research conducted by cognitive scientist Sian Beilock and a team from Barnard College in the US found almost half of university students interviewed had first developed their fear of maths when they were in year 1 or year 2.
So it’s important we use imaginative investigations, clear steps to success, group work and peer learning to help children build confidence from the earliest stages of maths education.
Abstract Concepts: Maths can feel like lots of ideas which bear no relation to the everyday life of a child so for many pupils, maths lessons feel pointless and boring.
Taking time out to teach fun maths activities through real-life contexts which have meaning for children can help them to see that what they’re doing has a purpose.
Specific Skills: There are particular skills you need to master to progress in maths so the repetitive nature of much maths methodology can be demotivating for some children.
To combat this, it’s crucial to teach children a range of methods to use and deliver learning in a way which suits a variety of learning styles.
When we plan maths activities, it’s really important we consider each of these 3 areas of challenge because maths does have lots of value, so we want all children to enjoy mathematics.
The Lifelong Benefits of Maths Education
Problem-Solving Skills: Maths learning provides a rich opportunity for children to develop a wide range of problem-solving skills which they can use in all areas of life on a daily basis.
From trial and error to analytical thinking and reasoning, as we work through each maths problem, we’re developing our understanding of how to solve challenges in a methodical manner.
Personal Development: From tenacity to motivation and organisation, maths requires systematic approaches and perseverance to find the answers. Each of these are qualities and skills that can help us to be successful in life.
Real-Life Skills: Whilst many maths topics can feel removed from everyday life when you’re younger, as you grow you soon see the uses mathematics has in daily living.
From using multiplication to calculate the value of a multipack deal to reading time and understanding how to read scales when baking, maths skills are basic educational tools we need for everyday life.
Our job is to ensure children understand these benefits through the types of lesson ideas we use for maths teaching.
Keeping Maths Activities Fun
We know children learn best when they’re having fun.
At Fun & Active Playgrounds, we believe there’s always a way to make educational activities, including maths, fun. We apply that belief to all of our playground markings and equipment which have high educational value but are always fun and innovative designs.
See our maths playground markings
Take a look at some of the some of these inspired ideas for fun maths activities a diverse range of children will enjoy. Whether teaching children in KS1, KS2 or EYFS, you’ll find each teaching idea is practical, creative, and easy to implement.
Fun Maths Activities Children Will Enjoy
1. Design a Classroom
Tackle measures, shape, and space learning through a project with a real-life context. Challenge children to design a classroom in pairs. Move through each topic in stages with children creating their classroom design bit by bit.
Draw parallels with Minecraft, home renovations, architectural design, interior design, and anything else you can think of!
From perimeter to area, length, width, shape and diameter, there are lots of ways to incorporate a wide range of maths topics into room design.
See how we incorporate maths topics into our playground markings
2. Class Bake Off
Tell children you will be having a class Bake Off Competition the following week. Put pupils into pairs or threes for the project. Implement a range of maths activities using the context of the class Bake Off.
From weight to reading scales, ratio, geometric cake decorating designs and multiplication for bulk orders, there are lots of everyday baking contexts you can use to develop children’s skills.
Keep reminding children you’re doing this, so they are ready to bake accurate cupcakes or cookies during the bake off on Friday.
Get the children to write up their recipes before they bake then evaluate and amend them after.
To finish the project, all the finalised recipes can be made into a class recipe book.
3. Times Table Songs
Times tables are a core maths skill but learning them can be a huge challenge for many children. Make the task fun by setting children the challenge of creating a times table song in any music style they choose.
Show children the Kool Kidz 3 Times Tables Song as an example but explain they can use any song or chorus as the basis. Give children a little bit of time to practice each day for 10 days for daily maths practice.
Incorporate various activities into the practice time so children are building up their understanding of what multiplication means and practicing writing and using multiplication facts from the times table they’ve been given.
At the end of the 10 days, each group can perform their song to the class.
Browse more fun ideas for maths learning in our maths playground markings collection.
Jess Sparks
Jess is deeply committed to supporting our mission of positively impacting UK outdoor play environments to promote healthy lifestyles in children.
With a CIM Level 6 Diploma in Sustainable Marketing, Jess channels her passion for sustainability into her marketing role, using her skills to promote eco-conscious practices and raise awareness for our initiatives.
Jess’ experience within the industry is instrumental in driving engagement and supporting connections with those who require ultra-durable, high-grade playground markings both locally and internationally.